Forgotten Eternity
by Rising From The Flames
Summary: "His eyes fell on hers and he was drawn into their silvery depth. For a moment the room disappeared and he was back on the Hogwarts grounds, staring into those same silvery eyes. But then the moment ended and he was thrown back into reality."


**This is the first of twelve chapters for the It takes 12 to make a quorum challenge. **

**Overall prompt: Broken**

**Prompt: Lost time**

**Quote: I can explain it for you, but I can't understand it for you. – unknown**

**A million thanks to my beta Phoenixicia24**

**Disclaimer: I do not and never will own HP.**

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**Hello Again**

It was a bright day. The sun was shining and on a high branch a bird sat chirping happily to itself as it basked in the warmth. It was joyously serenading the first days of spring. On a branch nearby sat another bird, eyeing the singing bird with interest. She held her wings comfortably at her side without any intention of leaving the concert early.

But to the inhabitant of the room outside of which these two birds were sitting, the beauty was lost. He had the shutters drawn over the windows, invisible to muggle crowds milling around out front. The air was heavy with gloom and the absence of any smells due to the meticulous cleaning of the St. Mungo's staff. A man lay under the plain white sheets, staring blankly at the drawn shutters, as if drawn to the world he had secluded himself from. Every so often a smile would brighten his face or a sigh would escape his lips as he replayed his life in his head. Subconsciously he found himself counting; smile ten, lying under a big tree on the edge of the lake with her in his arms, sigh thirty-nine, another lie, delivered with a smile. So he continued, counting down to the end where he knew he would not find a happily ever after.

A soft rap on the door interrupted his counting. He looked up as the door slowly opened and an old woman walked in. He knew her instantly, despite the years that weighed down upon her. She was hunched over and her thin hair was white, but behind the countless wrinkles burned the fire that he knew so well. But it was somehow different. It looked older and a little less bright, almost as if it had been broken.

"How are you?" She asked in a high voice that sounded years younger than she looked. He went back to staring at the shades. "I read about it in the paper and I had to come… Please look at me." She finally said, a hint of desperation in her voice. He complied and turned around. His eyes fell on hers and he was drawn into their silvery depth. For a moment the room disappeared and he was back on the Hogwarts grounds, staring into those same silvery eyes. But then the moment ended and he was thrown back into reality and all he saw was an aging shell, no more than a shadow of the girl he once knew.

"I'm glad you came." He said, once the lump in his throat allowed him to speak. With those words the tension faded into the background. The woman sat down on the folding chair next to the bed. Hesitantly she reached out and took his hand. They sat in silence for a while longer.

"Do the healers know what is wrong?" The woman whispered.

"They're saying its some kind of heart problem, but they don't seem sure on the details."

"You don't believe that, do you?" He smiled a little at the fact that she could still read his mind after all these years.

"No, I think it's justice catching up with me. I've been running from it all these years without even knowing it, but I can't keep running forever." Silence fell again. The woman stared at the shades, unaware of the scrutiny of the man in the bed. He was memorizing every detail of her face; her slender nose, her almond shaped eyes and the subtle curve of her jaw. He realized that he had forgotten exactly how silver her eyes were and how corners of her mouth were always turned up. This time it was him that broke that silence.

"What happened?" He asked, half to himself. She turned around, a sad smile hiding the pain in her eyes. She knew exactly what he was talking about.

"I shouldn't have expected you to remember after you moved on."

"I remember." He said softly. "Sometimes I think I remember too well. I remember every detail; I have watched it over and over in my head so many times. But I feel like I've forgotten something amidst all the details. It's like a mystery where you saw what happened, you know the exact where, when and how, but you are missing one crucial clue; the clue that will explain the why." There was a strange look on the woman's face; a mix of joy and sadness.

"Life is a strange thing. So often the things that stand out the clearest in our minds are the things that we understand the least." She smiled down at him. This time it was a real smile that lit up her face. She was the girl again. He smiled back at her. The expression felt strange and he wondered how long it had been since the last time he had smiled. A few rays of sun poked through the cracks in the shades and it felt as if all the lost time evaporated and it had only been a day since they sat there on the grounds; happily talking about everything and nothing. The woman seemed to feel the change in the atmosphere too.

"I've missed you." She whispered, leaning over to stroke his cheek.

"I should never have left." He whispered, leaning in to her hand.

"You didn't leave, you just turned away. It was me that left."

"I suppose we're both at fault." He said, smiling again. They were falling back into old rhythms. "I sometimes wish we could start over, begin again, and this time make sure it doesn't fall apart."

"I think it's a little late for that." She said with a ruthful smile.

"Well, maybe if we understood where it fell apart. They always say the first step is understanding." He said, with a hint of playfulness. The woman smiled.

"I understand it just as well as you."

"Tell it anyway. I need to hear it from someone else to prove that it is not all just a dream."

"Alright, I can explain it for you, but I can't understand it for you." She squeezed his hand gently. Then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Once upon a time…"

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**There it is; the first chapter! :D I hope you liked it. Please let me know what you thought :)**


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